


Of Dust & Bones

by rosethorn96



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/M, Multi, Romance, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:08:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21815686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosethorn96/pseuds/rosethorn96
Summary: Skuld was the Ark's recordkeeper, in charge of remembering the events of both past and present. But when she learns that the person she cares about the most is being sent down with 99 other delinquents to a radiation-soaked Earth, Skuld sacrifices everything in hopes of protecting the one person that matters.
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	Of Dust & Bones

Scientists never guessed. A guess was uneducated, without any reasoning or logic to support it. No, scientists  _ theorized _ . Scientists had theorized that Earth wasn’t survivable for another one hundred years.

The thing about theories is that no matter how much data or evidence claims to prove it, ultimately, you can only learn the truth via experimentation. With no other options, at least according to the Council, the Ark was out of time and out of energy. If they could lighten the load just ever so slightly, it might buy them enough time to find a real solution.

So 100 adolescents became the subjects of an undoubtedly fatal experiment: send them down to Earth and hope they survive.

Even when scientists predicted that humans wouldn’t be able to survive for one hundred more years. The odds were certainly stacked against them, but let’s look at the bright side:  _ nothing has been proven one way or the other _ .

Skuld’s clearance was not to be taken for granted. As a recordkeeper, she was privy to knowledge that a majority of the people on the Ark had no clue about. It also gave her access to editing the information rather easily. No hacking necessary.

Therefore, it had been a breeze to gain entrance to the dropship, especially when she knew the exact time the delinquents would be loaded. She was about to sacrifice everything, quite possibly her life, for this moment. And for what? To protect one boy who didn’t even know how important to her he was?

The members of the Guard rushed the teens into the dropship, not even sparing a glance to see what was actually inside the said ship. They didn’t care that this dropship was archaic and could possibly kill these children should it malfunction. They didn’t bother to look to see if anyone was attempting to sneak on (who would want to risk their lives like that anyway).

Skuld remained hidden until she was sure that all of the 100 juveniles had boarded and the Guard had no longer any reason to lurk around. She could hear the door lock into place as it claimed to be strong enough to survive a landing from space onto Earth in one piece.

She took one of the empty seats, buckled herself in securely, and took a deep breath to calm her nerves.  _ Everything is going to be fine _ , she told herself.  _ Nothing is going to go wrong and we will all survive the journey back to Earth. _

_ Back home _ . Despite the deep breathing and the repeated self-assurances, Skuld did not believe everything would be okay. Humanity’s track record spoke for itself.

The systems hummed to life as a pre-recorded message from the Chancellor played in the background. She tried to focus on the sound of his voice rather than the jittering of the dropship.

“ _ Prisoners of The Ark, hear me now. You've been given a second chance, and as your Chancellor, it is my hope that you see this as not just a chance for you, but a chance for all of us, indeed for mankind itself.”  _

Lies. All lies. Here Jaha was trying to save face, trying to make it seem like he was the good guy. Like he wasn’t sentencing children to their deaths. At least if you were floated, death was instant and painless. Earth couldn’t guarantee that luxury.

_ “We have no idea what is waiting for you down there. If the odds of survival were better, we would've sent others. Frankly, we're sending you because your crimes have made you expendable.”  _ All good lies have some truth to them. At least Jaha admitted that these kids were chosen simply because of their crimes, as unfair as that may sound.

Skuld had spent most of her life studying the past and humanity’s afflictions upon each other. Humanity had a terrible track record for causing suffering and pain on others and Skuld felt like this was a continuation of that ongoing cycle.  _ But if I could protect just his life, then I would sacrifice everything _ , Skuld had decided. It was a decision she had made long ago and Skuld was not one to break her promises.

“You’re dad is a dick, Wells,” one of the juveniles shouted. Some laughed and agreed. Skuld perked at hearing Wells’s name. Why would the chancellor’s son be on the dropship? He had no criminal record, at least, not since she last checked the list of registered delinquents.

_ But Clarke was here _ , she recalled.  _ And the boy is extremely fond of her _ . As one who consistently interacted with the Council to receive weekly reports, Skuld occasionally crossed paths with Council’s kids, particularly Wells Jaha and Clarke Griffin until the latter had been sent to the skybox almost a year ago. They were close friends from what she noticed. It would explain Wells’s determination to board the dropship. It was of similar reasoning to her own.  _ What you do for those you love _ .

The unreliable shaking intensified and sparks flew. The kids looked panicked, some screamed in surprise and fear. Another deep breath. Skuld was the oldest one here and she needed to remain strong. If in the  unlikely event that they survived the landing, these teenagers would need an adult, a leader to guide them. Skuld had never been one to be a leader. One of the reasons she became a recordkeeper in the first place was so that she could just follow orders and remember.

She hoped there were some mature and level-headed kids here that could take on some leadership responsibilities instead of her. She may have a perfect memory, but all the knowledge in the world does not guarantee a leader. Clarke would be a good candidate, especially since her mother endowed her with medical knowledge. A valuable skill for surviving.

Jaha’s voice continued.  _ “The drop site has been chosen carefully. Before the last war, Mount Weather was a military base built within the mountain. It was to be stocked with enough non-perishables to sustain three hundred people for up to two years.” _

The teens’ attention drifted from the monitors to a boy who had released himself from his seat belt and was floating in the air. A dangerous idea that could kill him once the dropship reentered Earth’s atmosphere. Unfortunately, others thought it looked fun and soon followed suit.

The parachutes deployed and the floating boys were forced against the steel walls. The shaking increased and Skuld knew at this point that this was a critical moment. The retrorockets needed to activate now or the dropship would crash land.

When all seemed lost, it seemed as if the rockets kicked in at the last moment, allowing for a safe albeit rough landing. All systems completely shut down and from the look of it, Skuld knew that aside from the wristbands that the delinquents were wearing, there was no communication between Earth and the Ark. This made their mission here that much more difficult.

The kids unbuckled themselves, excited to rush down to the lower level and see the surface. Skuld took her time, examining the boys who had released themselves from their safety buckles prior to landing. The “spacewalker”, who Skuld identified as Finn based on his profile, had a look of guilt on his face.

“At least their deaths were painless,” Skuld tried to comfort the teen, although she sensed it’s lack of success. “No suffering from what I can tell. Although my knowledge in the medical field is minimal compared to Clarke’s.”

“It’s my fault,” he said glumly. “They followed because I did it first.”

“If you wish to take responsibility, my advice is this: remember them and use this experience to improve future decisions.”

“Yeah. I will. I’m Finn.” He finally introduced himself even though Skuld already knew this.

“I’m Skuld,” she shared. “But most just stick with Skull.”

“Skull, that’s a cool name.”

“Easier to remember for most. Although, I think the nickname came from the fact that I have a perfect memory.”

Finn laughed and Skuld smiled. “Do you really? Prove it to me!”

“How? I mean, I guess I can recite lines from books or something, but I think that would just put you to sleep,” Skuld countered jokingly.

“That’s probably true,” he agreed before finally getting up from overlooking the bodies. Everyone had moved to the lower level at this point aside from him and Skuld. He offered his hand to help her up as well, which she graciously took. “Man, my memory must be shit. I can’t remember seeing you around before in the Skybox.”

Skuld laughed. “It’s not your memory. I was never a prisoner. Just someone who wanted to come along for the ride.”

The two climbed down and witnessed Clarke arguing with a young man about releasing the lock. “If the air is toxic, then we’re all dead anyway,” he argued. Skuld agreed to an extent. It was now or never. However, what bothered Skuld more was that the voice belonged to someone who wasn’t a part of the 100. Prior to boarding, Skuld had read over every file of each criminal.

The tall dark-haired young man was clearly older than 18. Probably closer to her own age of early twenties. He was wearing a guard uniform, but Skuld knew he was no guard. She had seen that face before. It was none other than Bellamy Blake, a prior cadet-in-training now janitor. But she put it together immediately as to why he had snuck on. She didn’t know how, but she knew why.

“Bellamy?” A female voice questioned, verifying if it was indeed the person she believed it to be. Sixteen-year-old Octavia Blake came forward toward her brother. Yes, Bellamy was here for one reason: his younger sister Octavia.

Everyone knew it was illegal to have more than one child on the Ark. Skuld had remembered when it happened. Octavia had been hidden from the Ark for fifteen years until being caught. Her mother was floated and she was locked in the Skybox simply for being born.

“My god, look how big you are,” Bellamy said, his face full of pride and elation to be reunited with his sister. Skuld knew that feeling well. The siblings shared a tight embrace before being interrupted by Clarke.

“Where’s your wristband?” She questioned the older sibling.

“Do you mind? I haven’t seen my brother in a year,” Octavia responded in irritation.

The whispers flew across the room. The girl who hid under the floor. She looked ready to attack, but Bellamy held her back. “Octavia. Octavia, no. Let’s give them something else to remember you by,” he said with a smirk.

“Like what?”

“Like being the first person on the ground in 100 years.” With his suggestion, Bellamy released the hatch and the doors opened. A warm and bright light flooded the room and everyone gasped at the sight. It was stunning and completely green. It was full of life, unlike the cold walls of the Ark.

Octavia took her steps slowly, hesitantly. Her feet submerged in the dirt, getting used to the uneven ground. It was a sight Skuld would never forget. It was a memory Skuld wanted to cherish. At long last, the young teen shouted, “We’re back, bitches!” Everyone followed in a flurry, ready to embrace a new life on Earth.

Skuld tried to ignore the uneasy feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. Instead, she focused her attention on searching for one prisoner in particular. The person she came here for.

  
  
  
  


_ Where was he? _ She knew he was supposed to be here. Skuld was worried when she didn’t find him right away. While it had been four years since she had last physically seen him, she had read his file several times. She suddenly felt nervous. What was she going to say when she finally saw him? Had he missed her at all?   
  
Meanwhile, Clarke and Wells were analyzing a map of the area, trying to get their bearings. It was obvious they had not arrived at Mount Weather as Jaha promised, but that could have been a result of the system malfunction. But Skuld was proud to see Clarke taking initiative and thinking about the situation logically.  _ She will definitely make a great leader _ , Skuld confirmed.

Skuld decided that while finding him was important, surviving was the priority. And to survive, they needed food and water. Mount Weather was their only known source, making it the best option. It’s not like anyone knew how to hunt or if there was even anything to hunt at all.

She approached the teens and greeted them carefully.

“Skuld!?” Clarke looked shocked to see here, but also pleased. “What are you doing here?”

“When I heard that they were planning on sending you down, I felt the need to join you all. On unofficial recordkeeping business.” She smiled and the two girls hugged. Both of them knew that they needed each other to increase their odds of survival.

“Well I suddenly feel much better knowing you’re here. Let me show you the map--”

Clarke was interrupted when a boy approached her casually. “Oh cool, a map. They got a bar in this town? I’ll buy you a beer,” he attempted to flirt. Clarke looked unimpressed, Skuld giggled, and Wells was furious. He pushed the boy away, giving him a nasty glare.

“You mind?”

“Hey, hey, hey,” A voice interrupted with a group of boys following their leader. “Hands off of him. He’s with us.” He tried to sound menacing, but when Skuld looked over, her face grew into one of happiness.

“John!” Skuld exclaimed before rushing over to him and hugging him tightly. Yes, the person Skuld was so desperate to find was none other than John Murphy. John seemed caught off-guard and almost embarrassed until he recognized the girl who was embracing him. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Skull!? What are you doing here?” He didn’t return the hug, but his voice sounded pleased at learning that it was her.

She released him from her grip. “I know, I know. No hugging,” Skuld smiled. “But I just couldn’t help myself! You’re safe and you’ve become so handsome! You were so small when I saw you last.”

“Stop it,” he almost hissed. The way Skuld was cooing over him made him feel embarrassed and weak, a feeling he hated. Skuld, remembering that he was seventeen and not thirteen anymore, apologized.

“Right. My bad. I’m just glad I get to see you again.”

“Same, Skull,” John admitted before returning his attention back to Wells. He clearly had a grudge against the Chancellor’s son, as did most of the kids here. Many were angry at Jaha and they had no reason to like his son.

“We’re just trying to figure out where we are,” Wells attempted to explain calmly.

“We’re on the ground. That not good enough for you?” Bellamy interrupted. It seemed to Skuld he had quickly fallen into a leadership role among the majority of the teens. It made sense to an extent. He was older and wearing a guard’s uniform, which gave him some authority. At least until they realized he wasn’t actually a guard.

“We need to find Mount Weather,” Wells persisted, attempting to persuade the majority. “You heard my father’s message. That has to be our first priority.”

“Screw your father.” Octavia countered. “What, you think you’re in charge here, you and your little princess?”

Skuld understood that Octavia was angry by Wells mentioning his father. The same person who locked her up. For locking all of these teens up for doing mainly minor crimes. They were just kids after all.

“Do you think we care who’s in charge? We need to get to Mount Weather. Not because the Chancellor said so, but because the longer we wait, the hungrier we’ll get and the harder this’ll be. How long do you think we’ll last without those supplies? We’re looking at a 20-mile trek, ok? So if we want to get there before dark, we need to leave now.”

Skuld agreed with Clarke, but one glance at John and she knew that he did not. Not many of these kids seemed to understand the perilous situation they were in. Bellamy smirked. “I’ve got a better idea. You two go, find it for us. Let the privileged do the hard work for a change.” The others cheered in agreement.

Skuld placed her hand on Clarke’s shoulder as a sign of comfort. Arguing wouldn’t solve anything and she silently let the younger girl know that no one could force them to go if they didn’t want to. 

Wells tried to convince them otherwise, but John pushed Wells out. “Look at this, everybody--the Chancellor of Earth.” John taunted as others snickered at his remark. 

“Think that’s funny?” Wells replied, not backing down. John showed no hesitation kicking Wells down. Clarke shouted in concern and Skuld was shocked at John’s violence. The boy she remembered was angry and lonely, but not a bully. Could he have changed that much since being locked up?

Wells forced himself up despite his leg injury, prepared to fight back. John got into a fighting stance, ready to attack until Finn jumped in between the two. “Kid has got one leg. Why don’t you wait until it’s a fair fight?” Finn remarked, forcing John to back off.

Octavia took this as a moment for herself. “Hey spacewalker, rescue me next,” she flirted. Skuld coughed, holding back a laugh and grinned at the sight of a furious and protective older brother. He quickly pulled her aside and told her something private.

If Bellamy and Clarke could put aside their differences, they would make a great team. Both of them had leadership qualities. One was logical and the other followed their heart. Skuld knew that both sides were necessary for survival. But how do you make the head and the heart agree?

Once Octavia parted from her brother, she approached the dark-haired man. He looked at her with confusion, as if he was trying to recognize her. “You look familiar. Do I know you?”

Skuld smiled but ignored the question. “I can see that you are willing to sacrifice everything for her,” she commented.

“She’s my sister,” he said as if that explained everything. And for her, it made perfect sense.

“I don’t know how you managed to sneak onto the ship, but you must have had help from someone pretty high up. You’re a janitor wearing guard’s clothing. I won’t ask what you did or who helped you, but in exchange, I want your help.”

He furrowed his brows. “How did you know--” his eyes widened in realization. “You’re a goddamn recordkeeper. I knew I’ve seen you before.”

“Indeed. I became a recordkeeper because I remember everything that happens, both past and current. But I’m not here because of that. I’m here to protect someone I love, just like you. I can see that they follow you. You’re a natural leader. And I need someone who will lead these kids to safety, not to their deaths.”

“I’m not in charge,” he denied. “They can do whatever the hell they want.”

“If you truly want to protect your sister, you need to lead her and the rest of the flock to safety.”

“What’s in this for you? Why don’t you lead them?”

“I told you, I’m here to protect someone I love. But I’m not leadership material. The person I care about won’t even let me hug him. He would never listen to my advice. I could never be a leader, not like you and Clarke.”

“You want me to work with the princess? You’re out of your mind!”

Skuld sighed. “You love your sister. So I’m hoping that you’ll see that what’s best for her is you and Clarke working together to protect everyone.”

“Sorry, but not interested. I can protect Octavia without your help.”

“What if I could offer you immunity from any punishment or crime?”

“You can’t promise that.”

“I can. As a recordkeeper, I have high clearance and sway with the Council. I don’t know what you did to get here, but whatever it was must have been illegal and dangerous. But if I testify that you were responsible for keeping these kids safe, they will pardon anything you may have done.”

“Not everything.”

“You could have killed someone and I could make you look like a saint.”

Bellamy looked shocked, but seemed convinced. “Okay, fine. I lead. You testify. On one condition.”

“And that is?”

“I won’t work with Clarke. And you have to do everything I say as my second-in-charge.”

“That’s two conditions. But fine. I think you’ll change your mind soon enough anyway.”

“What’s your name, recordkeeper?”

“You can just call me Skull.”


End file.
